Ruffling attachment for sewing-machines



(No ModeL) H. 0. GOODRIOH RUFFLING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING -MAGHINEfi. No. 333,515. Patented Jan. '5, 1886.

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NITED STATES Y PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY O. GOODRIOH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 333,515, dated January 5, 1886. V Application filed January 2, 1885. Serial No. 151,885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY O. GooDRIoH, residing at Chicago, in the'county of Cook and State of Illinois, and a citizen ofthe 5 United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ruffling Attachments for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a full description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete attachment; Fig. 2, a bottom view of the presser-foot and the compensating head or block; Fig. 3, an enlarged detail, being a longitudinal section through the presser-foot and block or head; Fig. 4, a detail showing a presser-foot and amodification in the manner of attaching the head or block; Fig. 5, a bottom view of the parts shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6, a longitudinal section enlarged of the parts shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 shows ahead or block with a serrated biting-edge. The inequalities of fit between the co-acting faces of a presser-foot and the feed of the machine in connection with a ruffliug blade or attachment renders the operation of thepresent construction of ruffling attachments more or less imperfect, for the reason that the material operated upon is not pressed with equal 1 force the entire width where it passes beneath the presser-foot, owing to the fact that one side of the footanfs vlnrejhemrherfinlififis fimwih g a space in which the material can slip'either by the advance of the rnffling-blade or the withdrawal thereof, pushing a crimp through withoutforming it, or withdrawing the crimp after it has been formed, thus producing an unequal crimp or ruffle.

The object of this invention is to overcome this objection in the present style of ruffling attachments; and its nature consists in providing a rocking and spring head or block located on the under side of the presser-foot and acting independent of the foot, to adapt itself to the plane in which the acting face of the feed of the machine standsirrespective of the plane of the under face of the presser-foot, in combination with a reciprocating ruftlingblade, as more fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings, A represents a presser-foot having, as shown, formed therewith a socket portion, A, for attachment to the presser-bar of a sewing-machine, in which socket, at the rear face thereof, is a recess, a, to receive an arm carrying a separator-plate, (not shown,)- and the presser-foot proper,A,is provided with a needle-hole, a, as usual, for the passage of the needle, and, as shown, the presser-fiot at its forward or toe end has an upward-extending arm, A, for carrying the'ruffling-blade and its operating devices, which arm, in one of its side faces, has grooves a for guiding overlay-strips when used. B is the head or block, which, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, has its forward edge beveled 0E and its under face at the forward end un-i dercut, so as to form a depression, b, with a biting-edge, b,- but the undercut portion 1) might be omitted, and the under face of the head or block left with an even surface. This head or block B, as shown, is attached to a plate, B, having a spring action, which plate at its rear end has a turned-up portion, B, which enters a slot, 12, extending up vertically into the presser-foot, and the upturned end is pivotally secured in such slot bya pin, b

which pin passes into a'hole inv the heel end of the resser-foot, its forward end passing through a hole in the part B and entering a hole in the presserfoot forward of the end B as shown in Fig. 3, thus supporting the head or block, so that itcan rock endwise, to allow one end to rise or fall, as may be desired, for the block to fit the plane of the feed. The

head or block B is brazed or otherwise securely fastened to the spring or spring-plate B, and the upturned end B is shorter than the depth of slot b, into which it enters to allow of the rocking movement of the spring or spring-plate from the pin or pivot b. The head or plate B has a downward pressure. 0 through the spring or spring-plate B, the amount of which is regulated by a screw, 5 passing through the presser-foot, and its end; engaging the spring or spring-plate, and this spring or spring-plate B also allows the head 'or block to rise and adapt itself to different thicknesses of material.

C is the ruffling-blade, the forward end of which is serrated or provided with teeth, as usual, and is also provided with a slot which zoo coincides when the parts are together with the needle-hole a, and the block or head B has a semicircular recess coinciding with the needle-hole a, the biting-edge b, when the parts are in position for use, lying in a center line with the needle-hole a, so as to be in line, or nearly so, with a vertical plane through the center of the needle. The ruffling-blade at its rear end is attached to an arm, 0, by rivets or in any other firm manner, and, as shown, a guide-plate, c, is also attached to the arm 0 by a socket, c, to leave a space, 0, between it and the under face of the arm, for the passage of the strip to be beveled.

D is an arm, the lower end of which is turned at right angles to form the arm C, and the upper end of which has a side head, D, carrying set-screws d d, by means of which the arm D is gaged to swing back and forth, as required for the amount of throw to be given to the ruffling-blade.

E is a lever having aslot, E, for adjustment to theneedle-bar of the machine, and having at its pivoted end ears, one of which, e, only is shown, by means of which the pendant or arm 1) is operated. 1

An adjusting-plate is in practice to be provided, having on one side an ear, f, to be engaged by the head or projection e, and to engage with the end of the set-screw d, to carry the ruflling-blade back, the forward throw of the ruining-blade being accomplished by the engagement of the projection or head of the lever E, opposite 'to the head 0, with the end of the setscrew d.

The parts represented by the letters 0, G,D, D, E, E, c, c, c, d, d, e, andf may be of the form of construction and arrangement shown, or any of the usual and well-known forms of construction and arrangement, and, as shown, the lever E and pendant or arm D are sup ported from the same pin or pivotf, projecting out from the upper end of the arm A.

As shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, the head or block B is formed with the spring or springplate B, but the head or block shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 could be applied to the construction shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, by brazing or otherwise securing the head or block to the spring or spring-plate. 7

As shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, the spring or spring-plate is extended back sufficiently far to have the upturned end 13 come outside. of the rear or heel end of the presser-foot,where it'is secured in a pivotal manner by a screw or pin, If, entering the rear or heel end, and, as shown, the pressure-adjusting screw b, instead of passing nearlyvertically through, as shownin Fig. 3, is inclined somewhat, but its action is precisely'the same as that of the screw shown in Fig. 3, and, as shown, the forward end of the head or plate B has its bitingredge bfOllIlQd by turning the end of'tlie plate so as to have a V shape, and when so formed a space, I), is left for the crimps or ruffles to clear themselves after passing the biting-edge, and the under face of the presser-foot, at the point where the end of the head or block is located, has a recess, A into which'the end of the block can pass, to allow of vertical play of the head or block B for different thicknesses of material.

The screw 12 forms a fulcrum or bearingpoint to steady the block or plate in its end wise movement, as well as a means for adj usting the pressure; but the head or plate B, with its spring or spring-plate B, could be used without the pressure-adjusting screw, so far as the production of an endwise tip is concerned, to adjust the bearing face to correspond with the plane of the feed; and to facilitate the rocking of the head or plate for this purpose, the bearing-point might be cast or formed on the under surface of the presse'rfoot.

In use the device is attached to the presscrbar of a sewing-machine and the material is placed in position in the usual manner, with the piece on which the ruffle is to be sewed between the separator and the feed, and the strip to be ruffledbetween the separator and ruflling'blade and over the piece on which it is to be sewed, and with the piping, band, or

overlay in the grooves a, the whole to pass beneath the presser-foot. The advance of the ruffling-blade carries forward the crimp, forc ing it beneath the biting'edge b of the block or plate, to be there caught and firmly held, and as the head or plate is free to adapt itself to the plane of the feed the crimp forced under will'be held for the entire width of the head or plate with a uniform and equal pressure, by which one side cannot slip. and the crimp forced under will be held, forming a backing for the next succeeding crimp, there by insuring the formation ofsuch next crimp, and the first crimp formed, as the the next one is forced under the biting-edge,wi1l be forced out,passing beneath the head or plate and entering the recess formed by the cut-away portion b, which portion leaves a sufficient space for the crimp formed and caught by the thread to pass the next crimp is forced under such edge. The spring action of the head or plate insures a firm pressure on of the head, and at the same time leaves the head perfectly free to rise and adapt freely from beneath the biting-edge as the material the full width itself to 5 different thicknesses, of material, and any degree of pressure desired can be produced 3 by forcing the spring or spring-plate down through the adjusting-screw U.

The compensating head or plate can be readily applied to ruffling attachments of any of the usual constructions, all that is required being to pivot the spring or spring-arm to the presser-foot and provide a projection on which the head an adjusting-screw passing through the foot or a-projection formed on the under face of the foot, and when applied a uniform series of crimps will be produced, as the crimps formed are forced under and held by the biting-edge until caught by the thread, and the I 2 5 or plate can rock, either by means of H pressure of the head or block will extend its full width, so that the crimp cannot slip on one side while being held on the other.

The head or block shown in Fig. 7 with the series of serrations on its forward edge produces a firmer hold on the material passing beneath the head or block, as the contactsurface is rough to an extent sufficient to prevent easy slipping, and this form of head or plate can be used with material having avery smooth finish.

I do not herein broadly claim the combination with a non-rocking presser-foot,of' a rocking block or plate pivotally connected therewith, as such constitutes the subject-matter of my application filed May 19, 1885, Serial No. 166,021; nor do I broadly herein claim in a sewing-machine ruffierhaving areciprocating ruffling-blade, a foot part having atransverse recess in its sole, and provided with a supplemental presser-foot or sole-piece within said recess, and with a spring or springs adapting the latter to press independently upon the crimps or gathers as they are successively completed and left beneath it, as such is embraced in my application filed December 29, 1884, Serial No. 151,882; nor do I herein broadly claim in asewing-machine ruffler having a reciprocating rufliing-blade a foot part constructed with a pressingsurfacc which rests upon the sewed ruffles or gathers behind that point at which the crimps or gathers are successively completed or finished, and provided at the point last named with a supplementary presser part or sole-piece free to rise and fall independently of the pressing-surface, as such is embraced in my aforesaid application, N 0. 151.882; nor do I claim herein the combination,with arecessed presser-foot and a rufflingblade, of a compensating block or plate, arranged at the under side of the presser-foot, and a torsion-spring carrying the block and permitting it to rise and fall and twist itself, as required, for bearing purposes, as such is embraced in my aforesaid application, No.

151,882; nor do I here claim the combination of a non-rocking presser-foot having a recess on its under side, and a block rocking endwise on a bearing-point and located in the recess, with a reciprocating ruffling-blade, as such is embraced in my application filed December 29, 1884, Serial No. 151,881; and, finally, Ido not herein claim in a sewing-machine ruffler having a reciprocating rufiiing-lolade a foot part constructed with apressing-surface which rests upon the sewed ruffle or gather behind the point at which the crimps or gathers are successively completed or finished, and provided with a supplemental presser part or sole-piece which rests upon the crimps or gathers at said point,where they are completed or finished, and with an independent presser spring or springs between the latter and the top of said foot part, as such is embraced in my application filed December 29, 1884, Serial No. 151,884.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination,with a presser-foot and a reciprocating ruffling-blade,of a spring pivotally connected with the presser-foot and a head or plate, 13, connected with said spring, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A presser-foot, A, havingabearing-point on its under side, in combination with ahead or plate, B, spring B, pivotally attached to the foot, and a reciprocating ruffling-blade, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. A presser-foot, A, and adj usting-screw If, in combination with a rufiing-blade, O, a head or plate, B, and spring or spring-plate B, pivotally attached to the presser-foot, for increasing the bearing-pressure on the head or plate without interfering with the rocking movement thereof, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

HARRY G. GOODRIOH. Witnesses:

ALBERT H. ADAMS, HARRY T. J ONES. 

